Hand-miter and saw-guide.



"No. 778,178. l PATEN'I'ED DEG. 20, 1904.

' H.. s. DDTTS. HAND MITDR AND SAW GUIDE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, 1904. No MODEL;

.1| I .A INVENTo/e @m1/Main,

No. 778,178.v

l UNITEDISTATES Patented December 20, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE..

HIRAM S. DOTTS, AOF MONONGAH, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FOURTH TO JOHN D. BARRY, OF FAIRMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, AND JOHN M. HAGGARTY, OF FARMINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

HAND-MITER AND SAW-Gumia.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,178, dated December 20, 1904.

Application led May 4, 1904. Serial No. 206,359. i

Virginia, have invented certain new and use- 1 ful Improvements in Hand-Miters and Sawtion, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a hand-miter and saw guide, and particularly to a compact structure which can be'readily carried in the pocket of a workman and adapted for imme-v diate use.

The invention has for an object to provide a structure embodying a graduated base-plate having an index-plate pivotally mounted thereon to cooperate with said graduations and adapted to be locked and held in its adjusted position, so that any of a large number of miters may be out by a proper adjustment of the parts. f

A further object of the invention is to provide a guide-plate with adjustable means by which the vertical cut of a saw-blade may be adjusted to equalize any differences in the dress thereof which would cause it to run from a perpendicular cut and also to equalize for the differences in thickness between the toothed edge and the back, as occur in some classes' of saws, the guide being adapted not to confine the saw, but simply to contact with one face thereof, leaving the saw free to be used at any desired inclination without interference from the guiding points upon the plate. j v

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved locking means for the adjustable guide-plate which can also be used as a screw-driver for the adjusting-screws or as a wrench for setting the clamping-nuts thereon.

Other and further objects and advantages v of the invention will be hereinafter set forth ated base-plate; Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal sectionl through Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 a detail perspective of the combination lockingtool for the adjustable guide-plates.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures of the drawings. Guides, of which the following is a speoica- The letter A designates the base-plate,which may be of any desired configuration, but preferably formed with curved opposite'ends A and between its ends with an upset loop A2, adapted to receive a strap or other holding device A3 to be engaged by the hand of the user. This plate is cut away at one side, as shown at A, and'at the opposite side is provided with a depending flange A5, disposed at a right angle to the body of the plate and adapted to abut against a straight face of the material to be cut when the baseplate rests upon the upper surface thereof.' The opposite ends of the flange are slightly inturned, as at AX, to prevent slipping of the tool when placed in position. This Bange may be suitably graduated, as shown in Fig. 1, if desired. The opposite ends of the base-plate are similarin construction and graduation, so that only one thereof will be specifically described, and any desired system of graduations may be used, but asshowing a convenient form thereof for the use of carpenters andother woodworlrers a series of graduations A, conforming to framing-angles, is disposed upon the face of the plate concentric to the pivoting point or post A7, which graduations are adapted to coincide with a point B upon the for convenience in handling index-plate B, which is pivoted upon the screw or point A7, before described. A secing the guide and index plate in its adjusted position upon the base-plate; butI haveherein shown a desirable form thereof which comprises a series of properly-disposed apertures B'1 in the index-plate adapted to cooperate with similar apertures A10 in the base-plate and with a pin C, Figs. 3 and 4, adapted to pass through said apertures and retain the parts in position. This pin is here shown as carried by a convenient tool comprising a body portion C, which is adapted to lie beneath a wing-nut C2, threaded upon the pivoting-post A7, and is provided at theopposite end from the pin with a slotted opening C3 to permit its adjustment longitudinally to adapt the pin for entrance into the different holes. The side walls of this slotted opening are parallel to each other and adapted to act as a wrench for operating nuts, while the ends are suitably sharpened, as at G4, to perform the functions of a screwdriver, thus combining in the single piece a tool for manipulating the various parts of the device, which when not in use for that purpose performs the locking function between the parts.

The guide-plate D, which may be formed integral with the index-plate B or otherwise secured thereto, is disposed at a right angle to said plate and connected therewith at opposite ends, if desired, with strengtheningwebs D', while this plate is provided at suitable points-for instance, the angles of its rectangular facewwith apertures D2 for the locationof adjusting-screws D3. The plate may be also provided upon its inner face with a threaded lug D4, so as to secure a proper threaded bearing for its screws, which after their adjustment may be locked in position by means of a nut D5, threaded upon the screw to contact with the outer face of the guideplate. Three of these adjusting-screws are preferably used, so that when the saw is used in an inclined position there is no screw at the cutting edge of the plate to interfere with the teeth of the saw or the angle at which it may be used, and if the tool be used by a lefthanded instead of a right-handed person the lower screw may be removed from one corner to the other, so as to leave the free space at the cutting edge of the tool.

In the operation of the invention only one of the guide-plates is used at a time; but two are provided, so that the tool may be readily reversed in position as found desirable in different classes of work; but one guide-plate may be set at a certain angle and the other at a dierent angle to permit the use successively of the opposite ends when different angles are to be cut and to obviate the necessity of adjusting one of the ends to secure di'erent angles thereon. This is particularly useful in the sawing of framing-angles which are disposed at different degrees. For instance, in cutting a five by twelve angle one end can be used for the twelve cut and the other for the live. The arrangem ent o f graduations for the framing-angles, however, is suflicient to permit either end to be adjusted for any desired cut. The miter graduations can also be similarly used at the opposite ends, or the miter upon any one end can be adjusted from a triangle cut to a cut for a twelve or more sided ligure. These framing and miter angles are particularly adapted for carpenters who may not be familiar with the degrees of a. circle, which degree graduation is also provided for those who may desire its use. It has also been found that the dress of a saw is very seldom so accurate as to permit a perfectly straight perpendicular cut through the work, and to equalize this tendency in the ordinary saw the adjusting-screws are provided, which can be operated by a locking-tool, before de scribed, by using the wrench to release the nut on the screw and the driver to adjust the screw to the desired extent. These screws are also intended to be adjusted if the saw to be used is of greater thickness upon the cutting edge than at its back edge, so that when held firmly in contact with the screws a perfectly perpendicular eut will be secured and no obstruction whatever offered to the free play of the saw or the inclination thereof during a cutting operation. It will furthermore be seen that the tool is simple in constructioii.l being adapted to be formed by a stamping operation from sheet material, so that the accuracy and eiiieiency thereof can be insured at a minimum in cost of production.

It will be obvious that changes may be made in the details of construction and configuration without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having described my invention and setforth its merits, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a tool of the class described, a baseplate provided with a pivoting-pin at one end thereof and a plurality of graduations arranged concentrically to said pin and upon the opposite side from the end of the plate, an index-plate mounted centrally of its straight edge upon said pivot and provided with a plurality of pointers in line with said pivot to cooperate with the series of said grzuluations, and a guide device carried by the index-plate beyond the end of the base-plate.

2. In a tool of the class described, a baseplate having graduations upon its upper face, an index-plate pivotally mounted thereon and provided with a pointer to cooperate with said graduations, a guidc-plate carried by said index-plate, guiding projections carried by the outer face of said guide-plate near the top and one side edge thereof to contact with a sawblade, and a locking means carried by the index-plate to engage the base-plate.

3. In a tool of the class described, a baselOO IIO

plate having graduations upon its upper face,

f an index-plate pivotally mounted thereon and provided with a pointer to cooperate with said graduations, a guide-plate carried by said index-plate, locking means carried by the indexplate to engage the base-plate, a depending yflange at one side of the base-plate, and adjusting-screws carried by said guide-plate to project from the outside face thereof near the top edge and one end edge and form points of engagingand guidi g contact With the sawblade.

5. In a tool of the class described, a baseplate having graduations upon its upper face, an index-plate pivotally mounted thereon and provided with a pointer to cooperate with saidgraduations, a guide-plate carried by .said index-plate, locking means carried by the indexplate to engage the base-plate, ajdepending flange at one side of the base-plate, adjustingscrews carried by said guide-plate to project from the outside Iface thereof near the top edge and one end edge and form points of engaging and guiding contact with the saw-blade, a loop extended fromy the upper face of said base-plate between its ends, and a handle carried by said loop.

6. In a tool of the class described, a baseplate, a guide-plate carried thereon, and adjusting-screws threaded through said plate to project from the outside face thereof near the top edge and one end edge and form points of engaging and guiding contact with the sawblade.

7 In a tool of the class described, a baseplate, a guide-plate carried thereon and having aperturesi at the lower endcorners thereof, adjusting-screws threaded through said plate to project from the outside face thereof near the top edge and one end edge and form `points of engaging and guiding contact with to be adjustably secured at a diferent angle Eo the other plate'and the side edge of the ase.

9. In a tool of they class described. a baseplate having a straight depending iiange at one side thereof and a pivoting-post at each end, an adjustable guide-plate mounted upon each of said posts and having a straight edge extending transversely at the end of the plate, a separate series of graduations and locking means disposed upon the base-plate at opposite sides of each of said posts'and concentric thereto, an index-plate carried by each of the guide-plates and having points to coperate with said graduations, and means carried by said index-plate to engage the locking means upon the base-plate in the adjusted -positions of the index-plate.

10. In a tool of the class described, a baseplate having opposite curved `ends and a straight sideportion at one side and a cutaway portion at the opposite side, a pivotingpost carried by. said plate at opposite ends, a series of separate graduations disposed at different distances from said post and concentric thereto, index-plates disposed upon said post and provided witha plurality of points to cooperate with said graduations, means for clamping said base and index plates together,

and a locking-pin car-ried by a plate extending beneath the clamping means, said pin beingadapted to pass through coincident apertures in the index and base plates.

11. In a device of the class described, aA

base-plate provided with a clamping-screw and a series of locking-apertures, an indexplate pivoted .thereon and provided with a series of coinciding apertures, a locking device comprising a plate having a slotted wrench- IOO opening to embrace said screw and sharpened plate pivoted thereon and provided with a series of coinciding apertures, a locking device comprising a plate havinga slotted wrenchopenlng to embrace sald screw and sharpened blades at one end and alocking-pin at its opposite end to enter said apertures, a clamping-nut on said screw to bear on said device,

and a depending flange from the base-plate l having inturned edges at its opposite ends. v

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature 1n presence of two witnesses. v

Hnunxi s. norTs.

Witnesses:

E. B. CAnsKADoN, GEO. E. .,HOLDREN. 

